According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $223,985,408,008.44 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.53% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $12,345,678,900 in the year 1940 would cost $236,331,086,908.44 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by -0.56%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1940-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $12,345,678,900 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $12,345,678,900.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $12,814,502,149.37 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $13,908,423,064.56 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $13,821,603,944.30 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $13,804,240,120.25 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $13,804,240,120.25 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $14,637,703,674.68 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $16,021,466,883.64 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $17,864,703,590.56 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $19,200,382,363.68 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $19,694,583,509.74 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $20,956,799,950.34 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $22,339,227,480.53 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $22,980,353,291.63 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $22,646,433,598.34 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $22,372,619,449.85 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $22,773,323,081.79 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $24,042,217,916.26 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $24,836,946,786.27 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $25,865,419,441.58 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $25,858,741,047.71 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $26,152,590,377.80 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $26,700,218,674.78 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $26,847,143,339.82 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $27,247,846,971.76 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $27,695,299,360.76 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $28,089,324,598.83 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $28,890,731,862.71 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $29,812,350,216.16 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $30,961,033,961.05 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $32,550,491,701.07 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $34,260,160,530.67 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $34,660,864,162.61 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $35,756,120,756.57 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $39,763,157,075.95 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $43,496,379,246.84 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $47,823,978,471.76 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $51,196,567,373.90 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $53,594,110,771.67 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $61,234,193,353.94 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $72,140,010,536.51 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $80,875,349,712.76 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $84,207,868,251.70 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $86,218,064,805.26 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $90,044,784,490.26 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $92,422,292,706.43 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $88,829,316,806.72 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $91,514,031,140.70 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $94,338,991,745.86 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $99,060,616,208.86 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $104,630,396,692.79 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $107,508,784,448.88 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $109,859,579,089.58 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $113,178,740,840.80 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $116,598,078,500.00 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $120,772,074,666.02 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $124,178,055,537.49 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $125,259,955,343.72 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $122,895,803,915.29 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $125,366,809,645.57 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $133,120,424,923.56 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $133,921,832,187.44 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $132,713,042,897.76 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $136,793,541,549.66 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $141,601,985,132.91 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $150,985,128,514.12 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $157,022,396,568.65 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $160,338,953,746.26 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $169,774,188,599.62 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $155,625,343,355.90 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $167,904,639,020.87 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $184,374,292,916.84 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $188,690,405,304.31 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $188,754,851,805.12 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $187,476,540,435.30 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $172,827,884,194.67 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $169,204,922,306.51 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $174,997,026,522.23 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $182,896,230,786.49 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $182,379,389,885.23 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $174,796,607,922.32 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $200,254,378,202.34 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $231,225,229,402.38 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $231,788,284,789.19 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $235,006,536,009.09 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $236,331,086,908.44 | 0.56%* |
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.
Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Transportation:
| Year | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| CPI | 14.200 | 14.267 | 14.560 | 14.620 | 14.300 | 14.220 | 14.760 | 16.020 | 15.920 | 15.900 | 15.900 | 16.860 | 18.454 | 20.577 | 22.115 | 22.685 | 24.138 | 25.731 | 26.469 | 26.085 | 25.769 | 26.231 | 27.692 | 28.608 | 29.792 | 29.785 | 30.123 | 30.754 | 30.923 | 31.385 | 31.900 | 32.354 | 33.277 | 34.338 | 35.662 | 37.492 | 39.462 | 39.923 | 41.185 | 45.800 | 50.100 | 55.085 | 58.969 | 61.731 | 70.531 | 83.092 | 93.154 | 96.992 | 99.308 | 103.715 | 106.454 | 102.315 | 105.408 | 108.662 | 114.100 | 120.515 | 123.831 | 126.538 | 130.362 | 134.300 | 139.108 | 143.031 | 144.277 | 141.554 | 144.400 | 153.331 | 154.254 | 152.862 | 157.562 | 163.100 | 173.908 | 180.862 | 184.682 | 195.549 | 179.252 | 193.396 | 212.366 | 217.337 | 217.412 | 215.939 | 199.067 | 194.894 | 201.565 | 210.664 | 210.068 | 201.334 | 230.657 | 266.330 | 266.978 | 270.685 | 272.211 |